The Risk Management and Insurance Society (RMIS) has experienced a successful semester and we haven’t even finished! From welcoming new members to organizing speaker events, we are aiming to create a community within UW-Madison’s Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) program through a series of events focused on enhancing the overall experience.
A standout moment from this semester was our 5-K fundraising event for the nonprofit organization Wisconsin MEDLIFE here in Madison. The 5-K proved to be an ideal event for both charitable contributions and bonding among our members.
In addition to fundraising initiatives, we have hosted town hall events designed to assist students with interview preparation, networking strategies, and course selection. These town halls, tailored to cater to both newcomers and older students entering recruiting season, have proven to be valuable resources for our members.
Transitioning now to some of our most well-attended and sought-after events—the speaker series. These events attract students not only within RMIS but also prospective and current RMI students. With three speaker events already concluded and plans for more during the rest of the semester, we’ve provided a platform for students to learn from the insights of industry professionals.
Our first speaker event was a risk management panel featuring Jill Joswiak, Christy Kaufman, Andy Nottestad, and Kellee Sheik. This panel brought together risk managers from diverse industries to discuss their experiences and careers, and offer valuable advice to students. Following the panel, we held a pizza networking hour that allowed students to connect with the panelists and members of Wisconsin RIMS who attended the event.
The second speaker event featured Risk and Insurance Department faculty members Jim Swanke and Dan Kelly who discussed elective courses and shared their industry experiences with students.
Our third speaker event showcased Howard Chu and Zain Iqbal from Marsh McLennan. This event stood out for its engaging and insightful discussion on the evolution of risk management in their careers. Howard and Zain highlighted the transformation of the industry, focusing its integration with consulting, finance, and, most importantly, data analytics. Learning about the increasing relevance of data analytics and artificial intelligence in the insurance field was extremely interesting, especially at the world’s largest insurance brokerage and risk advisory company.
We are excited about our remaining events this semester, including a few socials, mentorship meetings, and our final speaker events. The speakers in the remaining lineup include Theresa Severson, recipient of the Risk Manager of the Year award; Josh Berman and Sam Boebel from Zurich for an underwriting speaker event; and a “State of the Market” panel in December hosted by Bill Hazelton, Amanda Lagatta, and Dave Moody. We look forward to these experiences as we continue to engage the RMI community at UW-Madison.